In the case of a cellular mobile telephone system for instance, an authentication check is carried out before a call is set up between the mobile and the base station. The base station asks for information concerning the mobile, with respect to its identity, by ordering the mobile to send an identification number. The mobile is therewith forced to reveal its identity to the base station, so that the base station will know that the mobile is authorized to send a call over the system and so that the base station and also the exchange will know which mobile shall be charged for the call subsequently set up.
On the other hand, the mobile station must be certain that it communicates with the authentic base station, i.e. with a base station which is truly authorized to put connect a call when the mobile is the calling party (the mobile is an A-subscriber), and that the mobile station will be charged correctly for the call.
For the purpose of performing an authentication check, it is earlier known to form authentication signals, "Resp"-signals, in the base station and the mobile station. A random number (RAND) is sent from the base to mobiles within the area covered by the base station. The calling mobile answers with a given signal (Resp 1). In a similar manner, the base station forms the same signal Resp 1 from the random number and the identity of the calling mobile. These signals normally coincide and the base station orders the mobile to a speech channel.